"Pop-core"
I'm not even kidding.
Yeah, I agree that metal heads are like the Dungeons and Dragons obsessed kids in music. I hate it when I see your classic metal head walking around town because they seem so arrogant and up themselves... Sickening.
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Threads concerning heavy metal: music's true nerds?
- Thread starter Marlat
- Start date
"Pop-core"
I'm not even kidding.
Yeah, I agree that metal heads are like the Dungeons and Dragons obsessed kids in music. I hate it when I see your classic metal head walking around town because they seem so arrogant and up themselves... Sickening.
Dude, this is about poking fun, not having a go at people because of your suppositions about their attitude. Get a grip.
*pulls on an obscure black metal band shirt*
You have a different interpretation of the terms "nerds" and "geeks" than I am familiar with. Where I grew up, they were related words, but different. Both were interested in, sometimes to the point of obsessing over, obscure, odd things that no one else really cares much about. However, nerds were social, geeks were anti-social. Nerds would hang out in groups discussing their various nerdy interests (common nerdy interests in the metal group, besides metal itself, were fantasy novels, RPG console games, anime, the internet and Monty Python).
A few were socially awkward, most were not. In fact, the nerdiest of them all, the guitarist in my band (nerd credentials: reads fantasy novel series, often several series at once, plays RPG console games and likes discussing them, is interested in all sorts of obscure points of philosophy and science, loves steampunk stuff, attends the local anime convention every year, etc.) is extremely outgoing and quite confident and charismatic.
We metalheads at my high school didn't get our asses kicked. Why? Well, many of us were big dudes, and we all hung out at the top of the school's only real hill, making it obvious that there were quite a few of us. Many of the girls didn't get into fights because others assumed that they'd fight dirty. Of course, most of them were cheerful, bubbly, friendly people in reality.
Conversations about bands were not generally pointless debates about who's heavier than whom, but about who is similar to whom, why I like such and such instead of such and such, what the side project for this dude is like and so on and so forth.
And, perhaps most strangely, nobody smoked cigarettes or was on drugs, at least at the time. In fact, I was rather strange for drinking.
Yeah, I'm a metalhead and a nerd, and I'm proud of it. So are quite a few of my friends, and they're great people. Yes, we're huuuuuge nerds. But we're not anti-social.
A few were socially awkward, most were not. In fact, the nerdiest of them all, the guitarist in my band (nerd credentials: reads fantasy novel series, often several series at once, plays RPG console games and likes discussing them, is interested in all sorts of obscure points of philosophy and science, loves steampunk stuff, attends the local anime convention every year, etc.) is extremely outgoing and quite confident and charismatic.
We metalheads at my high school didn't get our asses kicked. Why? Well, many of us were big dudes, and we all hung out at the top of the school's only real hill, making it obvious that there were quite a few of us. Many of the girls didn't get into fights because others assumed that they'd fight dirty. Of course, most of them were cheerful, bubbly, friendly people in reality.
Conversations about bands were not generally pointless debates about who's heavier than whom, but about who is similar to whom, why I like such and such instead of such and such, what the side project for this dude is like and so on and so forth.
And, perhaps most strangely, nobody smoked cigarettes or was on drugs, at least at the time. In fact, I was rather strange for drinking.
Yeah, I'm a metalhead and a nerd, and I'm proud of it. So are quite a few of my friends, and they're great people. Yes, we're huuuuuge nerds. But we're not anti-social.
We have very different experiences. Most metalheads I know, or at least ones I hang out with, are into other musical styles as well. My guitarist and I for instance, are also in a folk band. My drummer loves jazz.
And... aside from myself... most of the people I hung out with in high school were very sexually active... but our group had about equal proportions of guys and girls.
About identifying yourself by music. We saw it as a lot better than identifying ourselves by race or something silly like that. At least it was something we had some choice over. Also, with a band shirt, you can go travel all over the place and instantly make friends. As a music style frowned upon by most of our peers, it is only natural that fans of it group together for support. Chances are they're also into other things rejected by most others.
However, this really ceases to be a problem after high school for the most part. Everyone seems to take a chill pill in college and generally aren't so judgmental. Old habits die hard, though. In some ways, metal is more than a style of music, it's an international community. Very strange, bizarre, and silly. But I kinda like it.
I know, I know. That post was to mainly point out yet another "genre" of metal that the hardcore (Not the hardcore genre) fans of metal bicker about...
I'm definitely not saying that ALL metal heads are like that. I myself could probably be classed as a metal head since I enjoy a range of metal bands.
My friends and I generally look at subgenres only as descriptive tools for describing in a word a premise for a band's sound, and to some degree their influences. It's just easy than having to start from scratch.
Meh, some of the people you mentioned are really nice, humble people. Just don't ask them about music or dungeons and dragons and you'll be fine, promise.
Back to the OP, as a metalhead, I've been guilty at some point of all 4 points Mark made. Most metalheads grow out of that kind of behaviour though, it's only a small minority that actually have the time and inclination to argue about it online who still stoop to such levels of douchebaggery and give the rest of us a bad name. I stopped caring about what is and isn't metal a long time ago.
Most metalheads are definitely geeks/nerds. Just look at some of the band names (Gorgoroth, Cirith Ungol), and some of the subject matter - huge epic battles between guys with big lances and dragons.
The metal heads of today are kings of the sub-genre. I quit metal when the cookie monster vocal, mid-scooping, and tuning to teh low C became mandatory.
My brother is a metal head and you wouldn't believe how awesome he thinks he is. It's kinda sad.
My brother is a metal head and you wouldn't believe how awesome he thinks he is. It's kinda sad.
Also, there is a great run down on Metal on "Fur TV" (language is too harsh to post on here tho!)
actually, yeah. The nerd statement rings true IME. Most of my metalhead friends from Highschool are avid comic book fans. It's funny, everytime we'd go see a movie based on a comic book [i.e. X men, Batman, Watchmen], we'd jump into my friend's hearse [that's right, a real hearse], and blast metal all the way there. As soon as we arrived, the geekiness would commence! 3 hours of discussion about obscure plot references, character developement, thematic elements, and the universal truths conveyed in each comic book. It COMPLETELY took me by surprise the first time, but ws actually pretty interesting to listen to.
I hate band t shirts, especially since seeing tour ones in a non thrift/2nd hand store. Its cool if you wanna wear a sabbath shirt, but some 15 year old wearing a tour shirt (that he bought NEW in a mall) that's from the 70s is a little much.
Nice
Ah yes, Ed's Guide to Metal
Vegetarian Progressive Grindcore > all else
Lounge is a pretty nice 2nd tho
The one thing you don't ever want to do is read the comments at the bottom of a metal magazine article about a band whose metal credentials may be in question. It's one post after another, some of them quite vicious, about how the band is not really metal, etc. Then you'll find each person making a list of what bands actually are metal. I have seen this scenario quite a few times.
I think that its harder to for metalheads to branch out to other social groups to get laid. Its kinda like the kids in the Marching Band. Just because they're getting it on with eachother, doesn't actually make them an actual hit with the opposite gender.
Metal is the music of the outcast. Their peers just "don't understand" them or their music. You said so yourself.
I listen to a lot of music and I abhor band shirts. Because we both like "insert band name here" doesn't make us friends. It just means we both like to give bands free advertising. On the rare occasion that I do wear a band shirt, its usually a cool design I like with the actual band's name in small font somewhere in it.
I think its a cop out to identify yourself by what kind of music you listen to and make into some perverse mockery of a lifestyle. Is it so much to identify yourself by who you are and not what you listen to?
I played sports in high school, I listened to music, I played in bands, did extremely well in school, and I did a lot of drugs. I didn't identify myself as a jock, **** head, band guy, nerd, or druggie/stoner. I identified myself as GeneralElectric, while most just called me a bit weird. I had a hot girlfriend too for all of highschool, although she was a metal head:scowl: She eventually started dressing normal.
As a college student, I've learned to avoid those who embrace the vestiges of metal still.
Ah yes, Ed's Guide to Metal
Vegetarian Progressive Grindcore > all else
Lounge is a pretty nice 2nd tho
That be the one
OK ...
NERD; completely obsessed with/self-appointed authority on XXXXX.
GEEK; same as above, with the added ability to actually function at XXXXX.
NERD; completely obsessed with/self-appointed authority on XXXXX.
GEEK; same as above, with the added ability to actually function at XXXXX.
Band kids in my school also weren't "uncool." Of course, we didn't have a marching band. I've been with my girlfriend for four years. She's not a metalhead at all.
Not "don't understand." Actively harass.
Why are you friends with anyone? Presumably you must share some common interest. Oftentimes another person wearing a band shirt is a douchebag. However, a lot of the time, the shirt starts a conversation that leads both people to find that they share more than one common interest. One of my best friends in college I met because we were both wearing band shirts. After talking a bit, we found that we had similar interests in music (not just metal but also jazz and classical), movies, politics and anime.
Music is a huge part of my life. Is it a cop out to identify oneself by religious belief? Or political ideology? Or favorite sports team? Music is a big part of who I am. It's not the only part of my identity, certainly, but it's one of the more important bits. Our interests matter. I also wear Cal shirts quite a bit, and Bay Area ones. Not everyone I hang out with is a metalhead. Quite a few are.
Good for you, so did I
Of course. A musician who doesn't listen to music is like a chef who never eats fine cuisine him/herself.
Yes, I'm sure. As did I.
I did pretty well, too. Got accepted into a campus of the University of California and everything.
Hope you enjoyed them. I don't see how this is relevent.
Of course the fundamental identification is of self. In larger high schools, like mine (not saying yours was small, I have no idea) sometimes 'tribes' tend to form. It's perfectly natural. Everyone has a group of friends and they have to be linked by some sort of interests.
Why is it so important that she dress "normal?" Why shouldn't she wear whatever she damn well pleases? I don't tell my girlfriend to dress "metal," because what she wears is up to her. I'd be a hypocrite, too, as it's not like I wear a band shirt and boots all the time.
I thought people were supposed to be more openminded and less judgmental in college. At least that's been my experience with everyone who's worth having a conversation with. Why bag on others' musical tastes and clothing choices? What's it to you who they hang out with or how they self-identify? Why not let others do their thing while you do yours?
